Visuals for learning

Using thinking guides in the classroom

Helen is the head coach of girls football development at Taunton FC. Gemma runs the under 9’s team. Sam, Josh and Susie are Gemma’s assistant coaches.

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Tina runs the under 12’s team. Faith, Sue and Mike are Tina’s assistant coaches. Susie, Faith, Sue and Tina are volunteering together on the new under 7’s community project.�

A quick thought experiment

Working Memory

1) Who is the highest ranking person in the under 7’s project?��2) Which team has the most staff in the under 7’s project?��3) Which people are not involved with the under 7’s project?�

A quick thought experiment

Working Memory

A quick thought experiment

Thinking Guides

Equivalent of a map and compass for a traveller exploring a new land.

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Visuals are a mental navigational tool

Thinking Guides

Without them, we remain lost in unfamiliar territory.

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What do others say?

Thinking Guides

How can we organize our ideas?

Thinking Guides

What is it?

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Chunking

information together

How is it similar

or different?

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Making comparisons

What

happened?

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Sequencing information

Why did

it happen?

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Making causal connections

Breakout room task

Thinking Guides

How do you want them to think?

What thinking guide would be best suited to answer the question or complete the task?

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Breakout room task

Thinking Guides

Choose a simple Organiser that would help a child think about the following.

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1. How is Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria similar?
2. What is the biggest cause of air pollution?
3. How will transport change over the next 30 years?
4. What should I talk about at the student council?
5. Describe all the track and field sports.
6. Why are the roads more congested?
7. Plan a letter to the Prime Minister.
8. Create a story about your pet.

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Breakout room task

Thinking Guides

Use a range of the specific organisers to explore the topic: Global Warming

Thinking online

Thinking Guides

How can online tools be used to guide our thinking?��

Promoting different ways of thinking

Thinking Guides

Using a range of different visual tools to examine a topic��

1] We should pay more attention to how our learners are processing new ideas.

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2] We should afford our students the opportunity to understand more about the learning process.

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3] Metacognition is a lifelong skill that is critical for academic and civic success.

Our recommendations: Fresh from our research

Metacognition

1] Clearly defined names for specific types of thinking.

2] Easy to understand learning vocabulary.

3] Carefully sequenced thinking guides.

If we understood how to organise our thinking, learning outcomes would be enhanced

Metacognition

Access to the framework (all future versions), icons, book and support resources

What do schools get with the membership offer?

Membership

All of the new thinking guides and future releases in 2021 and 2022

Optional induction/support session for your staff

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3

2

Access to the thinking guide designer

What do schools get with the membership offer?

Membership

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5

Regular seminars with our growing global user group for your framework champion

Remember

paul@structural-learning.com

@paulmain79

Let’s move thinking forward in your school

Moving forward

Learning is more like this

…than this